What's Happening

By ETR | June 10, 2014

Brittany Nielsen, one of ETR’s Kirby Summer Interns for 2014, obtained her undergraduate degree at University of California, Berkeley, with a double major in molecular and cell biology and religious studies. She is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Health at Brigham Young University, as part of a small program that emphasizes the science and practice of health promotion.

Brittany will be spending the summer working closely with ETR’s research team. She took a few minutes on her first day here to talk with Newsletter Editor Marcia Quackenbush. Here’s a report on their conversation.

By Jessica Colvin, MSW, MPH, PPSC

When you were in high school did you ever wish you had a safe place to get support? I’m lucky enough to work in a program that allows students to do just that. The Wellness Program helps students access services to support their emotional and physical health, and feel empowered to use those services when they need them. And not just while they’re in school, but beyond school and into their adult lives.

By ETR

It's video time! The power of short-form video reveals the dynamics of teen dating violence. Creativity can give you, and students, a more powerful and fulfilling life. White House Student Film Festival winners rock! 

Check out this month's collection of videos that have intrigued, delighted and challenged us.

By Marcia Quackenbush, MS, MFT, MCHES

Have you talked with someone about brain science lately? Media reports on neuroscience have been increasing over the past decade—a good neuroscience study can lead the evening news, and references to brain science are making their way into our everyday conversations. Over this same period, there has been genuine and sometimes spectacular progress in neuroscience, with new discoveries building understanding and treatment options for a range of medical and mental health conditions.

That’s great. But the brain is unfathomably complicated, brain science is complex, and you’ve probably noticed that popular media doesn’t always do justice to complexity. They often miss finer points of the science while emphasizing the sensationalistic. 

By ETR

If you like brain science, you'll love Edutopia's Five-Minute Film Festival: Learning and the Brain. Start with "Seven 'Facts' About the Brain That Are Not True" for some more folk neuroscience. Then watch them all!

By ETR

An article in the Journal of Pediatric Health Care offers a review of current literature on cyberbullying, including the particular features of this type of bullying, and how it affects victims. It describes the epidemiology (1 in 4 adolescents in the southern U.S. reported being a victim), identifies characteristics that increase risk for being a target, and explains what technologies are used most often. The article also offers an impressive list of resources for gathering more information and helping schools, communities, families and individuals.

Check it out here (may require free registration). >>

By Debra Christopher, MSM

If you deliver trainings or presentations, the tips in this ongoing column can help make your trainings more dynamic, engaging and effective. "Quotables" is an exercise you can use to introduce a topic, do team-building or invite participants to share something about their own perspectives or experiences.

By Matt McDowell

Quick: what do you think when you hear the words, “We really need to market that health program.” Or how about, “We could sure use some cutting-edge business tools to make this health program stronger.”

If you’re like a lot of people I’ve met in the worlds of public health, health care and nonprofits, you may be recoiling in horror—or at least shaking your head. Here’s what people often tell me about marketing and business tools.

By ETR

We like the ways videos and media help us see the world differently and think in new ways. Take a look at our favorite videos of the month. Los Angeles County Metro buses give health a chance. Bolthouse Farms offers an interactive musical website that makes healthy food simply glorious. And a guy known as "Menstrual Man" empowers women in rural India to change their lives. Watch and have fun.

By Yethzell Diaz | April 17, 2014

First, let me be clear about something. I am not a techie. At all. The first time I interacted with a computer was probably in seventh grade. Technology stuff was completely foreign to me. My family and friends didn’t know about it. And there wasn’t someone we could turn to for guidance.

I did, however, become a student at University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), majoring in sociology, and at one point I desperately needed to get into a popular class. A hundred students were competing for ten open spots. How was I going to swing it?

By Patricia A. Lauer, PhD

While there are numerous publications and guidance documents on effective training, the literature on effective delivery of technical assistance (TA) is sparse. To address this void, ETR’s Professional Development team recently conducted a focus group of ETR staffers who are experienced TA providers. We also searched the Internet for information on how organizations can provide technical assistance to clients that will result in positive outcomes.

By ETR

The Guttmacher Institute has a table-maker that offers data on contraceptive needs and services down to the county level. Find out the numbers for your county's publicly funded clinics, women in need of publicly funded services, clients served and more. State data shows up along with each county report you generate.

Check it out here.>> Scroll down for fact sheets, videos and research reports. 

By Jay M. Bernhardt, PhD, MPH | March 25, 2014

There's a revolution in the ways people communicate and it’s affecting every one of us. You’re participating in it right now by reading an article onscreen that probably came to you through email or a web search, rather than reading a printed product that arrived in a paper envelope. The use of new media has transformed our personal lives and the way we work, and it’s also changing the work of state and local health departments.

Communication is a critical foundation of the work that health departments perform every day. To be effective, they need to talk with and listen to their diverse communities and partners in order to engage their constituents on important health issues.

Traditional, or “old media,” still plays an important role in the work of most health departments. They may use press releases, news conferences, interviews, reports, posters and mailings to disseminate their information to various target audiences. But most departments also see that “new media,” including online and mobile resources and social networks, has become an essential part of effective public health.

By ETR | March 20, 2014

Take a look at some of our favorites among the videos and media that have crossed our desks this month. Bedsider offers some wonderful new videos that can help people get over their awkwardness and bring up the subject of contraception. Very funny. A video from amfAR provides a compelling rationale for needle exchange. And a powerful infographic gives us disturbing numbers about children's consumption of sugary treats. Watch!

By Anne Freiwald, MPH | March 18, 2014

I recently found myself at the 40th birthday party of a male friend. At the end of the evening, I was the only woman at the table, listening to male friends discuss online dating, sexual activities and preferences. They were comparing notes on how to meet new partners, including the use of some cool new dating apps. Most of these men were newly divorced or separated, and it was what some might call a racy conversation—each wanting to outdo the other.

The conversation was rich with the sorts of questions, assumptions and perceptions researchers like me get lost in. I was listening for themes and thinking about areas where I needed to gather additional information.

My inner researcher sat up and started asking myself questions. “What do STD rates look like among men in this age cohort?” “How likely is condom use in this population?” “How would they know if had a STD?” “Where would they get checked? Would they get checked?”

By Marcia Quackenbush, MS, MFT, MCHES | March 13, 2014

Here at ETR, we’re fascinated by brain science and its link to our mission. A number of our staff have impressive expertise in neuroscience. We decided it’s time to talk it up and share our knowledge and perspectives on the field. In coming months, look for brief posts, comments on the literature, links to tools and more.

By ETR | March 11, 2014

We love this free mobile app from the University of Oregon Health Center. Over 10,000 downloads so far! You get fun spinner wheels that let you put together just about every human sexual encounter imaginable. For every combination (“When my TOE touches a MOUTH”) you get info about STI risks, safer sex tips and suggestions for healthy communication (including some videos).

By Joseph A. Dake, PhD, MPH, FASHA | March 10, 2014

I recently went to a lecture by Salman Khan of Khan Academy to hear him talk about his vision of a “One World Schoolhouse.” I was familiar with Khan Academy—my sixth-grade son is using it to learn Java programming—but I was skeptical of this push toward online education.

I’d heard recently that some middle and high schools were considering the development of 100% online options to satisfy their health education requirements. As a faculty member who teaches future health educators, and as a person married to a national-award-winning high school health teacher, I saw many problems with this. I wanted to learn more about Khan’s approach and the way he sees the future of education.